Over 500 Northland residents gather to protest Mighty River Power's proposal to convert the mothballed Marsden B power station into a coal fired power station on Bream Bay beach beneath the power station. They spelled out NO COAL and STOP MARSDEN B. Three Greenpeace protesters occupying the plant wave to the crowds from the roof of Marsden B.

"This is a great win firstly for the climate and for the
thousands of Kiwis who opposed Marsden B. Mighty River Power's
decision is another nail in the coffin for coal - New Zealand's
energy future is in renewable energy not fossil fuels," said
Vanessa Atkinson, Greenpeace climate campaigner.

Following the scrapping of Marsden B Mighty River Power now
needs to abandon its pending court action, including appealing the
landmark case in which Greenpeace won a High Court decision to
allow climate change to be considered in light of a proposed
coal-fired power station.

"This coal proposal has wasted tax payers dollars. The
Government must not allow a repeat of this costly exercise and
instead ensure no new coal fired power stations, urgently phase out
existing coal and commit to a 100 per cent renewable electricity
supply," said Atkinson.

Greenpeace last week released a report showing how New Zealand
could reach a 100 per cent renewable electricity supply by 2025.
Atkinson said this was the first step in that direction.

Local residents, local Iwi, Greenpeace New Zealand and other
national environmental groups have been fighting the proposed
station for over two years since plans were first announced to
re-fire Marsden B on coal the worst climate change polluter of all
fossil fuels.